KARACHI: A senior police officer allegedly involved in a Rs50 million corruption case escaped from the Supreme Court, while his co-accused colleague was arrested by the National Accountability Bureau after a three-judge bench of the apex court rejected their pre-arrest bail applications on Wednesday.

Former Assistant Inspector General of Police (Finance) Syed Fida Hussain Shah managed to flee the court, but his accomplice, AIG (Logistics) Tanvir Ahmed Tahir, was arrested immediately after rejection of their bail pleas.

The two senior officers, both senior superintendents of police (SSP) by designation, had on June 19 escaped from the Sindh High Court after an interim pre-arrest bail granted to them was revoked by a two-judge bench.

On Wednesday, the two police officers along with their respective lawyers appeared before the bench headed by Justice Gulzar Ahmed and prayed for bail before arrest in the NAB reference.

Their counsel argued that NAB did not collect incriminating evidence against their clients, nor could the investigators produce any evidence regarding the money trail.

Officer in question had made a similar getaway from the SHC last month

NAB’s Special Prosecutor Amjad Ali Shah, however, vehemently opposed the bail applications and told the judges that the country’s top anti-graft body had already filed a reference against the accused persons who, according to him, were not entitled to any legal concession.

The two officers were booked in a NAB reference for their alleged involvement in the embezzlement of Rs50m government funds.

They had been accused of embezzling funds released to pay fuel charges and make special security arrangements for Muharram.

It was alleged in the reference that Fida sought approval from the Sindh police chief to pay for the fuel and other expenses. Subsequently, suspect Tahir allegedly sent five bills of Rs10m each to the Accountant General, Sindh for the release of the amount in the names of M/s Standard Services Station and M/s Quick Filling Station, Racecourse Road, Sukkur.

It was further alleged that Rs30m was withdrawn in the name of M/s Standard Services Station and Rs20m in the name of M/s Quick Filling Station.

The NAB investigation revealed that the fuel stations in question had neither issued any bills for payment of the amount nor they had received any such payment.

Earlier, the two officers were granted interim pre-arrest bail by the SHC. However, later the SHC bench headed by Chief Justice Ahmed Ali M. Sheikh revoked the interim bail and also rejected their applications for entering into a plea bargain deal with NAB.

Meanwhile, the administrative judge of the accountability courts remanded AIG Tahir in judicial custody.

The investigating officer produced the suspect before the administrative judge asking the court to send the suspect to prison since the reference had already been filed.

The court sent the suspect to prison on judicial remand.

Published in Dawn, July 6th, 2017